FAQ: Why herbs?

Why should you use herbs in your health program, even if you are already “eating right”? Primarily because herbs are foods! You were designed to digest primarily plants. In their whole form, herbs contain the balance of related elements that make them easily assimilable by your body. Calcium, for instance, can’t be utilized for proper cell function without adequate levels of magnesium, phosphorus, and other trace elements. Plants high in calcium tend to be proportionately high in those other elements. Additionally, calcium tablets require large amounts of hydrochloric acid to break down completely, which is often deficient in our population because of chlorinated water, aging and hiatal hernia medications. Plants don’t have those issues.

Many people wonder if they really need supplements if they are eating right anyway. “Eating right” is kind of subjective, but in a word, yes. I used to believe otherwise, and still make every effort to emphasize appropriate diet with my clients as much as supplements. Unfortunately, though, today’s agricultural practices severely limit the range of nutrients available in our foods. Even organically grown produce has often been transported long distances, with negative impacts on the vitamin content. Very few people have unlimited access to exclusively pure, whole, fresh foods. Fewer still can avoid the unnatural stresses caused by city lighting, noise and lifestyle, which increase our physical needs beyond the original intent of our creation. I do, however, work hard to minimize the number of supplements my clients need, and do not believe there is any supplement-herbal or otherwise-that everybody needs to take on a regular basis.